What does נָבָא (nābāʾ) mean in the Bible?
נָבָא (nābāʾ): Inspired speech claiming divine source, encompassing both predictive utterance and exhortatory discourse.
Hebrew · H5012
נָבָא
To prophesy , i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)
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נָבָא H5012
Pronunciation nābāʾ
What does נָבָא (nābāʾ) mean in the Bible?
נָבָא (nābāʾ): Inspired speech claiming divine source, encompassing both predictive utterance and exhortatory discourse.
Full entry for נָבָא (H5012) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5012?
The BSB source-word alignment has 114 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include prophesy (29), prophesying (10), and prophesy (7), prophesied (7), prophesies (7).
Where does נָבָא (nābāʾ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Numbers 11:25. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (40), Ezekiel (37), 1 Samuel (12), Amos (6).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It prophesy 29× Jeremiah 5:31, Jeremiah 11:21, Jeremiah 14:16, Jeremiah 27:10
prophesying 10× 1 Samuel 10:11, 1 Samuel 10:13, 1 Samuel 19:20, 1 Samuel 19:23
and prophesy 7× Ezekiel 4:7, Ezekiel 6:2, Ezekiel 20:46, Ezekiel 25:2
prophesied 7× 1 Samuel 19:24, 2 Chronicles 20:37, Jeremiah 2:8, Jeremiah 26:18
prophesies 7× 1 Kings 22:8, 1 Kings 22:18, 2 Chronicles 18:7, 2 Chronicles 18:17
who prophesy 7× Jeremiah 14:15, Jeremiah 23:16, Jeremiah 23:25, Jeremiah 23:26
are prophesying 6× Numbers 11:27, Jeremiah 14:14, Jeremiah 27:14, Jeremiah 27:15
began to prophesy 3× 1 Samuel 19:20, 1 Samuel 19:21
to prophesy 3× Jeremiah 19:14, Jeremiah 26:12, Amos 2:12
who prophesied 3× 1 Chronicles 25:2, 1 Chronicles 25:3, Ezekiel 13:16
and he prophesied 2× 1 Samuel 10:10, 1 Samuel 18:10
has prophesied 2× Jeremiah 25:13, Jeremiah 29:31
So I prophesied 2× Ezekiel 37:7, Ezekiel 37:10
they prophesied 2× Numbers 11:25, Jeremiah 23:13
were prophesying 2× 1 Kings 22:12, 2 Chronicles 18:11
you have prophesied 2× Jeremiah 20:6, Jeremiah 28:6
And as I prophesied 1× Ezekiel 37:7
and do your prophesying 1× Amos 7:12
and they kept on raving 1× 1 Kings 18:29
and they prophesied 1× Numbers 11:26
and you will prophesy 1× 1 Samuel 10:6
are falsely prophesying 1× Jeremiah 29:9
are to prophesy 1× Jeremiah 25:30
dare you prophesy 1× Jeremiah 26:9
have prophesied 1× Jeremiah 23:21
he has prophesied 1× Jeremiah 26:11
He prophesied 1× Jeremiah 26:20
those who prophesy 1× Jeremiah 23:32
When he prophesies 1× Zechariah 13:3
who acts like a prophet 1× Jeremiah 29:26
who are now prophesying 1× Ezekiel 13:2
who are prophesying 1× Jeremiah 29:21
who poses as a prophet 1× Jeremiah 29:27
who prophesies 1× Zechariah 13:4
will be prophesying 1× 1 Samuel 10:5
will prophesy 1× Joel 2:28
Show sample aligned rows
Numbers 11:25 וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ to they prophesied Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Numbers 11:26 וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ to and they prophesied Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Numbers 11:27 מִֽתְנַבְּאִ֖ים to are prophesying Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine plural 1 Samuel 10:5 מִֽתְנַבְּאִֽים׃ to will be prophesying Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine plural 1 Samuel 10:6 וְהִתְנַבִּ֖יתָ to and you will prophesy Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular 1 Samuel 10:10 וַיִּתְנַבֵּ֖א to and he prophesied Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 10:11 נִבָּ֑א to prophesying Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular 1 Samuel 10:13 מֵֽהִתְנַבּ֔וֹת to prophesying Preposition-m | Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct 1 Samuel 18:10 וַיִּתְנַבֵּ֣א to and he prophesied Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 19:20 נִבְּאִ֔ים to prophesying Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Numbers 11:25
Aligned rows 114
Books represented 10
Numbers 3 1 Samuel 12 1 Kings 5 1 Chronicles 2 2 Chronicles 5 Jeremiah 40 Ezekiel 37 Joel 1 Amos 6 Zechariah 3
Source forms
הִנָּבֵ֖א 7x hin·nā·ḇê Ezekiel 11:4, Ezekiel 34:2, Ezekiel 36:1, Ezekiel 36:6
וְהִנָּבֵ֖א 7x wə·hin·nā·ḇê Ezekiel 6:2, Ezekiel 13:17, Ezekiel 21:2, Ezekiel 25:2
הִנָּבֵ֣א 6x hin·nā·ḇê Ezekiel 11:4, Ezekiel 34:2, Ezekiel 36:3, Ezekiel 37:9
נִבְּאִ֥ים 6x nib·bə·’îm 1 Kings 22:12, 2 Chronicles 18:11, Jeremiah 27:14, Jeremiah 27:15
וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ 5x way·yiṯ·nab·bə·’ū Numbers 11:25, Numbers 11:26, 1 Samuel 19:20, 1 Samuel 19:21
מִֽתְנַבְּאִ֖ים 3x miṯ·nab·bə·’îm Numbers 11:27, 1 Kings 22:10, 2 Chronicles 18:9
נִבְּאִ֣ים 3x nib·bə·’îm Jeremiah 14:14, Jeremiah 14:16, Jeremiah 27:10
הִנָּבֵא֙ 2x hin·nā·ḇê Ezekiel 21:9, Ezekiel 30:2
Parsing patterns
Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular 19x Ezekiel 11:4, Ezekiel 13:2, Ezekiel 21:9, Ezekiel 21:14
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural 10x 1 Samuel 19:20, 1 Kings 22:12, 2 Chronicles 18:11, Jeremiah 14:14
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural 9x Jeremiah 14:15, Jeremiah 23:16, Jeremiah 23:25, Jeremiah 27:15
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular 9x Ezekiel 6:2, Ezekiel 13:17, Ezekiel 20:46, Ezekiel 21:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 6x Numbers 11:25, Numbers 11:26, 1 Samuel 19:20, 1 Samuel 19:21
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 5x 1 Samuel 10:10, 1 Samuel 18:10, 1 Samuel 19:23, 1 Samuel 19:24
Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine plural 5x Numbers 11:27, 1 Samuel 10:5, 1 Kings 22:10, 2 Chronicles 18:9
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular 5x 1 Samuel 10:11, Jeremiah 20:1, Jeremiah 26:18, Jeremiah 32:3
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Inspired speech claiming divine source, encompassing both predictive utterance and exhortatory discourse.
Strong's H5012
Lexical occurrences 115 verses Word forms 2 forms 65 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Jeremiah 11:21-23 Source Gloss
to prophesy , i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Inspired speech claiming divine source, encompassing both predictive utterance and exhortatory discourse.
to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse) BDB: prophesy Usage: prophesy(-ing), make self a prophet.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 65
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 54×
Sequential imperfect Amos 7:15 · Ezek 11:4 · Ezek 13:2 · Ezek 21:14 · Ezek 21:19 · Ezek 21:33 · Ezek 30:2 · Ezek 34:2 · Ezek 36:1 · Ezek 36:3 · Ezek 36:6 · Ezek 37:4 · Ezek 37:9 · Ezek 37:12 · Ezek 38:14 · Ezek 39:1 19×
Participle active 1Kgs 22:12 · 1Sam 10:11 · 1Sam 19:20 · 2Chr 18:11 · Ezek 12:27 · Jer 14:14 · Jer 14:16 · Jer 23:26 · Jer 23:32 · Jer 26:18 · Jer 27:10 · Jer 27:14 · Jer 27:15 · Jer 27:16 · Jer 29:9 · Jer 32:3 16×
Perfect Jer 2:8 · Jer 5:31 · Jer 23:21 · Jer 37:19 · Jer 20:6 · Jer 26:9 · Jer 28:6 · Jer 25:13 · Jer 26:11 · Jer 29:31 10×
Imperfect Amos 7:12 · Amos 7:16 · Jer 11:21 · Jer 25:30 · Amos 3:8 · Jer 28:9 · Zech 13:3 · Amos 2:12 8×
Participle passive Jer 20:1 1×
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 11×
Participle active 1Kgs 22:10 · 1Sam 10:5 · 2Chr 18:7 · 2Chr 18:9 · Jer 14:14 · Jer 26:20 · Num 11:27 7×
Imperfect 1Kgs 22:8 · 1Kgs 22:18 · 2Chr 18:17 3×
Perfect Jer 23:13 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Speaking by divine inspiration, subject to opposition and judgment from adversaries
Showing 1 selected witness from 115 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
נָבָא is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain